Birds to See in Belfast in December
70 bird species on our list for Belfast are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Black-headed Gull, Magpie, Hooded Crow, European Herring Gull and European Robin. New this month: Eurasian Siskin, Gadwall, Mistle Thrush and Eurasian Collared Dove and 5 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
From Belfast’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 70 birds in December
70 birds
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 4.78% in Dec
MagpiePica picaResidentCommon44–46 cmRecorded all year · 4.78% in Dec
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 4.69% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.43% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.35% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaResidentCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.54% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.54% in Dec
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusResidentCommon40–42 cmRecorded all year · 2.90% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.52% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 2.52% in Dec
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleusResidentCommon11–12 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Dec
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentCommon12–13 cmRecorded all year · 2.47% in Dec
Pied WagtailMotacilla albaResidentCommon17–18 cmRecorded all year · 2.35% in Dec
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentCommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 2.17% in Dec
JackdawColoeus monedulaResidentCommon34–39 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesResidentCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Dec
RookCorvus frugilegusWinter visitorCommon45–47 cmRecorded all year · 1.96% in Dec
Great TitParus majorResidentCommonRecorded all year · 1.92% in Dec
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatusResidentCommon13–16 cmRegularly May–Mar · 1.75% in Dec
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.62% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.58% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusWinter visitorCommon27–29 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.49% in Dec
Coal TitPeriparus aterSummer visitorCommon10–12 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.45% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboSummer visitorCommon80–100 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.45% in Dec
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 1.45% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorCommon50–60 cmRegularly Jul–May · 1.36% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusResidentCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 1.32% in Dec
DunnockPrunella modularisSummer visitorCommon14–15 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.28% in Dec
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaResidentCommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 1.24% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 1.19% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 1.15% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusSummer visitorCommon9–10 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 1.11% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorCommon42–51 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 1.07% in Dec
Mute SwanCygnus olorResidentCommon140–160 cmRegularly Apr–Feb · 1.02% in Dec
Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinusResidentCommon11–13 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.98% in Dec
Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaResidentCommon40–44 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
CootFulica atraResidentCommon36–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.85% in Dec
Mistle ThrushTurdus viscivorusSummer visitorCommon27–28 cmRegularly Dec–Jul · 0.85% in Dec
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.81% in Dec
GreenfinchChloris chlorisResidentCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.81% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosSummer visitorCommon20–23 cmRegularly Nov–Jul · 0.81% in Dec
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaSummer visitorCommon15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.77% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusSummer visitorCommon64–79 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.77% in Dec
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Aug–Jun · 0.72% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.68% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Dec
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusResidentCommon46–51 cmRegularly May–Jan · 0.64% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataResidentCommon44–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.64% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaPassage migrantCommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–Apr · 0.60% in Dec
Brent GooseBranta berniclaWinter visitorCommon55–66 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.60% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorPassage migrantCommon52–58 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.60% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaSummer visitorCommon17–20 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.55% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusPassage migrantCommon20–24 cmRegularly Nov–Feb · 0.51% in Dec
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresPassage migrantCommon21–24 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.47% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaPassage migrantUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.43% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.38% in Dec
LinnetLinaria cannabinaSummer visitorCommon13–14 cmRegularly Feb–Dec · 0.34% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRegularly Nov–Sep · 0.34% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoWinter visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Jul–Mar · 0.26% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentUncommon65–80 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.26% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisPassage migrantUncommon22–27 cmRegularly Dec · 0.21% in Dec
Meadow PipitAnthus pratensisResidentCommon14–15 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.21% in Dec
TreecreeperCerthia familiarisResidentUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jun–Dec · 0.21% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoSummer visitorCommon30–32 cmRegularly Dec–Sep · 0.13% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusScarceUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Dec · 0.13% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorCommon23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.13% in Dec
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaResidentCommon17–19 cmRegularly Apr–Jan · 0.13% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made